
Chris at the Piano
Chris Caton-Greasley LLCM(TD) MA (Mus)(Open)
Composer, Ethnographic Musicologist, Public Speaker, Researcher & Teacher

Mixolydian
TQ-Explore Activity
Focus Three Explore World Sounds
The Mixolydian Mode is like a mix of the Lydian and Ionian modes.

The Mixolydian mode gets its name from Ancient Greece, with 'Mixo' meaning 'mixed' and 'Lydian' referring to the ancient kingdom of Lydia. The version of the Mixolydian mode we use in music today has a distinct sound that has been popular since the Middle Ages.
You will hear this mode often in rock, pop, video games, and folk music. It can create many different feelings, from heroic and confident to playful or even a bit medieval.
TQ Build Activity
Focus Nine Ancient Sounds
To play the G Mixolydian mode, simply start on the note G and play all the white notes on a piano until you reach the next G. The G Mixolydian mode uses the notes G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G

The Mixolydian mode is like the G major scale but there is one special note that is unique.
First, play the scale of G major.

Then, play G- Mixolydian again, can you hear the difference?
The F natural (the seventh note) is the 'special' note that gives the Mixolydian mode its unique sound. It is a tiny change, but it makes a big difference! Sometimes, musicians call this note the 'minor seventh' because it is a little lower than the usual seventh note in a major scale. It is not a 'flat' key, but the interval is 'minor' compared to a major seventh (which would have a sharp sign in G major)
A major scale is like a "regular happy face," and the Mixolydian mode is a "happy face with a wink" because of that one changed note.
You can hear the Mixolydian mode in the original title theme of Pokémon, in Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N' Roses (intro and main riff), or in the theme for Jump Up, Super Star! from Super Mario Odyssey.
If you want to write a happy and simple piece of music for a video game, you will use the Ionian mode. To make that scene an adventure or a heroic scene, you could use the Mixolydian mode. We will look at writing a mysterious theme in a later chapter.
TQ-Create Activity
Focus seven, create a piece using level scales, modes and chords
Using only the white notes, try to write a very short melody (4-8 notes) that starts and ends on G, and try to make it sound 'heroic' or 'bluesy'.
Remember that F natural is your special note.
Manuscript Paper Download
TQ Grow Activity
Focus two, complete a simple research project
Mixolydian Mode Questions
1. What are some moods the Mixolydian mode can create?
2. In G Mixolydian, which note is different compared to a regular G Major scale?
3. Name one type of music where the Mixolydian mode is used.
4. How might a piece of music in G Mixolydian sound (e.g., bright, sad, mysterious)?
Listen to a podcast generated on Notebook LM